Emotional dramas are par for the course in the world of soap, but Ashleigh’s character Kate Ramsay seems to have suffered more than most.

Arriving in Erinsborough following her mother Jill’s fatal car accident in May 2009, the young teacher has lurched from one heartache to the next.

Her biggest challenge was dealing with the loss of her boyfriend, local cop Mark, who she thought was killed after entering the witness protection programme in 2011.

It was only two years later that Kate discovered his death had been faked, when Mark made a shock reappearance on Ramsay Street.

However, it was all too little too late for Kate. She decided to stick with boyfriend Mason (Taylor Glockner).

But he called “time” on their relationship, when he suspected Kate was still in love with Mark.

More turbulent times followed, as Kate’s one-night stand with Kyle Canning (Chris Milligan), fiancé of her friend Georgia (Saskia Hampele), was revealed, leaving her humiliated and the friendship in tatters.

Now Ashleigh, 23, is preparing for a last dramatic twist ahead of her exit from Neighbours, reports the Daily Express.

The departure of one of the show’s best-loved characters will come as a blow to fans who only last week saw Kate rekindle her romance with Mark.

Ashleigh’s final appearance in Neighbours can be seen on Tuesday, April 22.